If it doesn't taste good, why eat it?

cilantro

If you’re in the market for a warm vegetable stew with luscious spices which will reheat well, then I’ve got a dish for you. This is a very mild curry (which you could heat up with some cayanne and/or crushed red pepper if that’s your preference) and it has notes of cinnamon from the garam masala. If that’s not your thing, you could use your favorite pre-made curry spice mixture rather than what’s listed here. This dish can easily stand on its own as a vegetarian main, or be served alongside some lovely spiced yogurt chicken (as Neil and I had it).

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils

1/4 cup tomato puree

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 cup mushrooms, sliced thickly

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, grated

4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

4 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped

1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Rinse the lentils well and place them in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes

Drain and set aside

In a bowl, stir together the tomato puree and yogurt. Season with garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and chile powder

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat

Add the onion, green beans and mushrooms; cooking until the onion begins to brown

Add in the garlic and ginger and stir for a minute- until you really begin to smell them

Stir in the spinach; cook until it’s dark green and wilted

Add the yogurt mixture and stir until incorporated

Mix in the tomatoes and cilantro

Stir the lentils and garbanzo beans into mixture until well combined and heated through, about 5 minutes

Between entertaining out of town guests, exercising my right to a social life, training for the next big race (we have our mile down to 9:28- yay!), and living life in general I have neglected my blog. For this I should be ashamed. But it is not for lack of cooking, or trying out new recipes. There is just not time enough in the day to get them all out on the internet 😉 That said….

We are entering the fall season very soon (9/23 to be exact) and with this new season come a whole load of new crops from the farmers. Our October CSA shares will boast of goods such as: beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, collards, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mustard greens, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, cool-weather spinach, swiss chard, sweet potatoes, turnips and squashes. As I tend to cook with what I have in the fridge, I’ll attempt to keep you stocked with interesting ways to use these fabulous ingredients.

This particular recipe was inspired by World’s Healthiest Foods and turned out quite lovely. It fills the house with the warm smell of cinnamon and sweet onion while it simmers. The finished dish is naturally sweet and the squash has a creamy consistency.

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized butternut squash, cut into cubes

1 medium red onion, cut in half and sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon & 1 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Steam the squash cubes for about 6 minutes

While the squash is steaming, sauté the onion in a tablespoon of broth for about 3 minutes over a medium heat, stirring frequently

Add the garlic and spices and mix well

Next, add the remaining broth and begin to simmer

Add in the steamed squash and cook together for another 3-4 minutes

Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cilantro, and serve

We had this as a side to a chicken from our meat CSA which we had put on the rotisserie smothered with herbs de Provence.

This recipe is a great way to get some low-fat protein and fiber worked into your diet with a huge flavor profile. It’s simple to make and only takes about half an hour from start to finish. And did you know that the Chinese black bean, also known as Douchi, is a fermented soy bean? So if you’re trying to eat a more primal diet, these are an acceptable item.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Salt & pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium zucchini, quartered & chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups of black beans

2 cups of diced tomatoes

1 small can mild green chilies

2 Tablespoons ancho chili paste

1/2 cup cilantro

Sour cream

Directions:

Warm a skillet over a medium heat, add olive oil

Season the chicken breast with chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper & sauté for a couple of minutes per side- just to get the cooking process started. Remove from heat & set aside

In a large soup pot, sauté the onion, zucchini and garlic for 5 minutes. While these are cooking, cut you chicken into bite-sized pieces

Add the chicken, beans, tomatoes, chilies and chili paste to the pot, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes

This meal was inspired by a recipe posted on WHF for Asian Sauteed Cauliflower. I say “inspired by” because, of course, it grew into something very different. The stand-out element here is the dressing that you make for the vegetables. It’s a little salty and a little sweet, and it’s made almost buttery, if you will, with the addition of cilantro at the end. I used many of the same ingredients to dress the pork with.

Ingredients:

Pork:

1 pork tenderloin

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon tamari

salt & pepper

Vegetables:

1/2 of a medium head cauliflower, trimmed & florets cut into bite-sized pieces

Heat a cast iron fry pan on the stove top at a medium-high heat, add the oil, then begin searing the pork tenderloin

While the pork sears, mix the ginger, vinegar, honey & tamari, then pour it over the seared pork

Pop the frying pan, with pork & dressing, into the oven for 23 minutes (adjust up or down depending on size)

While the pork finishes in the oven heat the chicken broth in a large skillet at a medium to medium-high heat and when it begins to steam add the cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, onion & ½ of the garlic, cover and allow to steam for 5 minutes

Now that we’ve had the tiniest turn in the weather here in New England, I feel as though I can post a soup recipe again without being driven from the free land of the internets 😉

This soup is high in protein, low in fat, and has a wealth of vitamin A. It’s also got a fantastic thick and creamy consistency. As far as flavor goes you get the standard kidney bean with the tangy yogurt and sweet lime all at once. Then that’s all rounded out with the cumin & chili powder for a wonderful finish.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces

1 celery stalk, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces

4 medium garlic cloves, chopped

3 cups + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth

3 TBS tomato paste

1 TBS ground cumin

2 TBS ancho chili powder

1 TBS dried Mexican oregano

1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

salt and pepper to taste

Lime yogurt

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 TBS lime juice

1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Chop onions and garlic, carrots and celery & set aside

Heat 1 TBS broth in medium-sized soup pot and sauté the onion in the broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently

Add garlic, carrots, celery, and continue to sauté for a minute

Add broth, tomato paste, kidney beans, and spices and bring to a boil

Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender ·

Make lime yogurt by combining yogurt, lime juice, and cilantro in small bowl

Puree the soup in a blender in small batches

Season with salt and pepper to taste

Reheat, and pour into serving bowls, top with lime yogurt, and serve

I opted to serve this soup with a side salad topped with edible flowers (greens & flowers from Old Friends Farm).